WASHINGTON, D.C. - Groundswell, a local non-profit community solar developer, kicked off it’s second community solar project at the 100-year-old St. Luke Baptist church in historic Ward 4. The 55kW roof installation will deliver 100% of the electricity it generates to 15 low-income families in the community at no cost as a part of the District of Columbia’s Solar for All program, cutting each family’s utility bill in half. The resulting total utility bill savings for participating families is estimated at $6,700 per year and an estimated $140,000 over the 20-year life of the project. The project is expected to be completed and delivering electricity to families by early fall.
By partnering with community-based organizations like St. Luke Baptist Church, Groundswell is able to bring clean energy to neighborhoods that are traditionally overlooked as host locations. Groundswell’s projects align with their host sites’ commitment to serve and support their community and sparks the creation of local jobs and economic opportunity in communities that need it the most. SunCatch Energy, a local, 4th-generation minority-owned business, will lead the solar project construction at St. Luke. SunCatch understands the benefits of training the next generation workforce and therefore prioritizes the development of its employees. By providing and assisting with on-the-job training, certification and access to additional education, SunCatch helps build the self-confidence and technical skill set their employees need to be successful in the ever-growing clean energy industry.